Introduction to scar assessment
Burns Practice guidelines [1] recommend scar assessments are used once a burn is healed to:
- measure both subjective and objective changes in a scar over time
- determine the impact a scar has on a child’s participation and function
- re-evaluate the scar and changes throughout the maturation process and beyond.
Scar assessments provide insight into:
- a child/parent's perception of the scar
- the functional impact of the scar
- sensory reactions experienced with the scar
- the cosmetic impact of the scar
- scar formation and changes over time.
Key Point
Remove garment/silicone product (if worn) 15 minutes prior to completing scar assessment to monitor vascularity of scar area when not compressed.
Consider other readily available tools to measure changes in a scar over time including a measuring tape, ruler and camera.
